Top Ten Best Classic Hard Rock Artists (1970-1992)
The band became mainstream after improving after their debut album got panned. In 1978, Osbourne was fired and replaced with former Rainbow vocalist Ronnie James Dio. Who went to release 2 albums before leaving in 1983, only for Osbourne to return in 1992. ...read more.
Black Sabbath was truly the best Hard Rock if not Classic Rock acts aka foundation of Heavy Metal and would create the heavy based Rock genres that would come to play in the 1980s as It would help the Grunge era in the early 1990s which would shape both Hard Rock and Metal forever. Black Sabbath makes the top pick with their heavy hits such as Iron Man, War Pigs, Paranoid, and Symptom Of The Universe in which invented the heavy based Rock genres.
They are known for several of their hit songs, which include “Painkiller”, “Breaking The Law”, You’ve Got Another Thing Coming”, and “Turbo Lover”.
Their original lineup consisted of Al Atkins (vocals), K.K. Downing (lead/rhythm guitar), Ian Hill (bass), and John Ellis (drums). Atkins never recorded on any Judas Priest releases, but contributed to several songs. ...read more.
Bearing much resemblance to Iron Butterfly, The Animals, and Led Zeppelin while taking on form of Heavy Metal would be no other than Judas Priest which would be one of the most iconic Metal aka Classic Rock bands ever known along side Blue Oyster Cult and Alice Cooper that would later be introduced into greatest Hard Rock bands of the 1970s and would lead to much influenced acts such as Metallica, Pantera, and Alice In Chains that came in the later Classic Rock era aka lead to soon be Modern Rock era or to be known as Alternative/Screamo era.
If any band deserves a spot in this list, It's AC/DC with their original bad boy jail house blues influenced Hard Rock they would break ground in both the 1970s as they would shape the 1980s into what It was and change Rock music history with their mammoth guitar rifts, two strong vocalist, and their golden hits makes them truly stand out in both the Hard Rock and Classic Rock genres. AC/DC is and will always be Hard Rock N' Roll and live on both inside and outside the Hard Rock aka Classic era genres.
Starting off underground in the 1970s in dark dingy bars with very little light and were heading on their way to fame in both the 1980s and 1990s, Aerosmith broke into the Classic Rock mainstream as they were known for their heavy blood pumping sound they gave off in Hard Rock love songs which would create a new atmosphere for Post Rock era of the mid 1990s and early 2000s. Aerosmith is truly one of a kind in their own wacky, but fashionable style of Hard Rock which resembled The Rolling Stones.
Known for their face paint and stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid-1970s. Their shock rock-style live performances featured... read more
In an era where Disco and Pop Folk music rayed supreme KISS would change all that with their bad attitude, massive roaring metal guitar rifts, and pop love song related lyrics that would define Rock history as define a new form of Hard Rock that was never heard at the time. KISS would no doubt become a world wide known Hard Rock phenomenon that still exists today in both the young hearts of the old and the Classic Rock loving teenagers of this age.
Black Sabbath was one of the most unstoppable Hard Rock acts of the 1970s till the end of the decade which would lead to one of the most rememberable shocking moments in Hard Rock history when Ozzy got kicked from Black Sabbath and we usher into a an era of Ozzy Osbourne and DIO which evolved both Hard Rock and Metal to a new level. Ozzy Osbourne was known for his hits Crazy Train, Mr. Crowley, Bark At The Moon, and Shot In The Dark which melded a new form of Hard Rock and Metal sound that will live on through history.
WHY ISN'T THIS NUMBER 1?!? ARE YOU TELLING ME OZZY OSBOURNE MANAGED TO GET HIGHER THAN ROBERT PLANT! WHAT ON GODS GREEN EARTH WERE THE VOTERS THINKING?!? THIS IS Led Zeppelin! NOTHING ELSE COMES CLOSE! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT EVEN A SINGLE PERSON WOULD VOTE FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN Led Zeppelin! Ok, other than BS, who else made it into the top 3? Judas Priest and Aerosmith. Heh. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?
I can't believe that this wasn't even on the list and I had to add it.
What the?! Zeppelin must be big 3!
In an era of Pop, Rap, and New Wave on the rise, There would come a match that would change the statistics in the music industry and that was Guns N' Roses with their talented guitar soloist Slash, 70s Punk influenced attitude, and epically long meaningful love songs Guns N' Roses would hit the Pop chart along side Whitesnake and Bon Jovi. Guns N' Roses may also be considered one of the last bands to be considered Classic Rock.
The band currently consists of brothers Dean and Robert DeLeo (guitarist and bassist, respectively), and Eric Kretz (drummer). Their main vocalist from their formation up to 2013 was Scott Weiland. He was fired in 2013 and for a short time was replaced by Linkin Park vocalist Chester Bennington, who left to focus on Linkin Park in 2015. Scott Weiland was found dead on his tour bus in Minnesota before his band The Wildabouts was set to play.
The bands original sound was characterized as grunge, and further releases showed a turn towards psychedelic rock and classic rock. ...read more.
As Glam Rock and Hair Metal was going extinct, there was going to be a new talent that would mix the new with the old and there's no other than Stone Temple Pilots with their 70s Punk influenced guitar rifts, drums, and good vocal talent singer Scott Weiland that helped the band progress into Hard Rock Hall Of Fame. Nirvana also takes in with this spot since both are very talented and deserve massive credit in their help to reinvent the Hard Rock genre.
With their first two albums, Kill 'Em All and Ride The Lightning reaching underground success, their third effort, Master of Puppets has since become one of the most important heavy metal albums ever, as it became the first thrash metal album to be certified platinum. The title track has since become the band's most played song live. ...read more.
Can't believe Metallica so low on the list
Starting off small in the 1970s and going mainstream in the 1980s was a band that defined the term Hard Rock Ballad in every way imaginable with their slow, but heavy and rough sad songs such as Holiday, Winds Of Change, and Send Me An Angel along side bearing resemblance to both Judas Priest and Queen they became one of the greatest Hard Rock acts of the 1980s.
QUEEN is the greatest band ever to grace the Earth! EVER!
The best rock band of all time.
Lenny Kravitz... Known as one of the greatest African Americans to be in the rock genre along side Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, Thin Lizzy, and Prince. He has broken into mainstream in the early 90s when he released It Ain't Over Till It's Over and Always On The Run. People also loved him because of his musical resemblance to Jimi Hendrix and Aerosmith. He is defiantly considered to be the best in both Hard Rock and Pop Rock and is even known today as the greatest African American to sing and play electric guitar in the Hard Rock genre.
Voting for him as I believe he's often overlooked and underrated, though I wouldn't put him as #1
I really wouldn't include them, since they're not really "hard rock" per se, and they weren't active for very long during the indicated time period. However they are fabulous and may be my favourite band.
I never thought The Doors were Hard Rock, but now I think they deserve a spot on here at #11.
Jim Morrison died in 1971, and rock singers have been trying to copy him ever since.
Neil Young's band in 1970, it is pretty obvious that Nirvana and many other bands were heavily influenced by their sound.
This image is of "Crazy Horse". The native American leader.
This guy's a jerk.
Can't believe this wasn't on the list yet!
This was the last band Jimi Hendrix was part of before he died in September of 1970, so he makes it into the qualifying period for this list. Any "hard rock" band with Jimi Hendrix as leader deserves to be number one.